A man who admitted to taking nine Pretoria News advertising staff hostage on April 25 last year was acquitted on Friday on a charge of attempted murder.
Lionel George, of Danville, west of Pretoria, earlier pleaded guilty in the city’s regional court to charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and two rounds of ammunition.
He also admitted to kidnapping staff members by depriving them of their freedom of movement.
In his plea explanation, George apologised for what he had done, saying he was sorry for the harm he caused the ”people of the Pretoria News”.
”I took hostages at gunpoint — employees at the Pretoria News. I forced them into an office on the first floor and wrongfully deprived them of their freedom of movement for about three hours. I realised what I was doing was wrong,” he said.
The court found him guilty on these charges.
George pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted murder, stemming from the shooting of a police inspector during the incident.
Inspector David Bapela testified that police were called to the scene at about 5pm that day.
”We did not know on which floor the incident was taking place. We were told it was the second floor. As we wanted to go up the stairs, the security officer told us that the suspect was about to leave and the emergency exits were not closed.”
As they ran to what Bapela thought was the second floor, he heard a shot. Police were ordered by a captain to leave the building in order to obtain reinforcements.
When Bapela got outside, he discovered his right trouser leg was wet with blood.
Defence advocate Ingrid Melvin stated to the witness that George did not intend hurting anyone. ”He fired downwards and away from the hostages, so as not to hurt anyone,” she said.
Magistrate Ben Booysen said it was not clear that the inspector was hit by the bullet fired by the accused.
The trial was postponed to May 26 when the defence will give evidence in mitigation of sentence. — Sapa